| g the same period of time as political unrest was going | | | | Buddhist monks of Vietnam protested lastyear in a |
| on in South Vietnam, there was a great change in the | | | | sensational and cynical manner against the Catholic |
| Roman Catholic Church which helped the Catholics to | | | | oppression.” |
| adjust themselves to different conditions and situations | | | | “We are always grumbling that the faithful of |
| more effectively. This was the result of the Second | | | | other religions in Asia refuse torecognise us, putting us |
| Vatican Council which was held in Rome at Vatican | | | | in the ranks of colonizers, oppressors and hated by |
| City from 1962 to 1965 (B.E. 2505-08). Among the | | | | the people. However, we too have many times |
| decrees and declarations passed by the Council, the | | | | disparaged Buddhist practices and beliefs as |
| Declaration on (the Church’s Attitude toward) | | | | superstitions and outer darkness.” |
| Non-Christiap Religions promulgated on Oct. 28, 1965 is | | | | “Our missionary activity is to make ourselves |
| worthy of special mention here. The Declaration | | | | known by the followers of Buddhism. This activity |
| accepts all non-Christian religions for whatever is good | | | | today calls for a renewal of method in composing the |
| and just in them. It says that in the advanced religions | | | | catechism, in teaching it and in the means of social |
| such as Hinduism and Buddhism the Church rejects | | | | communication ...a good knowledge of the religion of |
| nothing that is true and holy1 and it reproves | | | | Buddha is necessary.” |
| discrimination based on race, colour, social status, or | | | | “The first collaboration can be that of arousing |
| religion. The Secretariat for Non-Christians was then | | | | the religious spirit in the youth (of the country), resisting |
| founded for the essential purpose of promoting | | | | the influences of materialism and positivism.” |
| contact and dialogue between Christianity and other | | | | “The second collaboration we can have with |
| religions. | | | | the Buddhists is that in the field of social activities |
| Since the Council, the attitude of the Christians | | | | which aim at the building of one’s own nation |
| towards Buddhism and the Buddhists has greatly | | | | and in the field of charity.” |
| changed. This is evident in Thailand where the policy of | | | | “Among the populations with a backward |
| cooperation and assimilation has been adopted to | | | | economy there are very many social works in favour |
| replace hostility, aggressiveness, contempt and harsh | | | | of the poor which may and must be undertaken by |
| verbal attacks on the Buddhist teachings. Catholic | | | | our missions and by the Buddhist monks. A |
| priests and nuns are instructed to adapt Christian life to | | | | collaboration in this field, exercised with prudence and |
| the Thai environment and to adjust themselves to local | | | | patience, can produce good fruits.” |
| culture, Today, it is natural to see a Christian priest | | | | “But the most profitable collaboration will be the |
| paying respect to a Buddha-image or a Buddhist monk; | | | | work which our experts will carry out with the texts |
| Christian nuns attending a merit-making ceremony or | | | | and with the Buddhist books so as to absorb the good |
| listening to a sermon in a Buddhist monastery-hall; a | | | | elements into the local Christian culture.” |
| bishop, in a layman’s suit, participating in a social | | | | “In the Buddhist countries, in order to make its |
| work programme of Buddhist monks; or a Buddhist | | | | own cultural garment, the Church can and must take |
| monk invited to teach a meditation lesson to Christian | | | | on the good elements of the Buddhist tradition and |
| nuns in a convent, all unseen sights and impossibilities | | | | transform them giving them a Christian meaning so as |
| two decades ago. | | | | to adapt them to the life of the followers of |
| The following passages from the Bulletin of the | | | | Christ.” |
| Secretariat for Non-Christians2 will make clearer the | | | | “In the moral field many precepts of the religion |
| idea behind the change: | | | | of Buddha do ample justice also to Christians ...” |
| “Even in India, the native land of the Buddhist | | | | “In the ascetic field we have to make a great |
| religion, Buddhism was killed by the renewed expansion | | | | effort to learn from the Buddhist school the hopes, the |
| of Hinduism.” | | | | inclinations and the ascetic psychology of the local |
| “In the countries upholding its faith, Buddhism | | | | peoples in order to construct Christian |
| has shaped the customs, the mentality and the culture | | | | ascetics...” |
| of the people.” | | | | “The practice of the Buddhist contemplative life |
| “But for more than a thousand years Buddhism | | | | has, through the centuries, fascinated many sages of |
| in the Asiatic countries has stagnated in a state of | | | | China and Japan... Why could not this (Buddhist) |
| habits, and at times seemed like an old garment | | | | exercise be inserted into our meditative and |
| belonging to ages past to be thrown away as soon as | | | | contemplative life with a fitting and prudent |
| the people developed the conscience of changed | | | | change?” |
| times.” | | | | “The whole of Buddhism is based on the four |
| “In the early periods of the history of Buddhism, | | | | truths: sorrow, the causes of sorrow, the destruction |
| Buddhist missionary enterprises were zealous, | | | | of sorrow and liberation from sorrow. Why could not |
| extensive and efficacious, to the extent of winning | | | | the spreading of the Gospel of Christ be summed up |
| almost the whole of Asia to the doctrine of Buddha. | | | | also in these four truths? The true sorrow of Man is |
| Then these activities ceased altogether. Now the | | | | sin. Jesus came to liberate Man from |
| Buddhists are thinking of picking up missionary activity | | | | sorrow-sin.” |
| again.” | | | | “In this cultural collaboration, positive and |
| “What will our Christian attitude be, faced as | | | | constructive, the way to the foundation of the Catholic |
| we are by the rebirth and expansion of | | | | Church in the Buddhist countries is opened ... When the |
| Buddhism.” | | | | Gospel of Christ has penetrated the cultural life of the |
| “In the face of Buddhist expansion our attitude | | | | people, then the Church is founded in the midst of that |
| will be friendly, tending to co-existence and to | | | | people.” |
| collaboration. This attitude is also the fruit of the | | | | “So, in the face of the Buddhist expansion, |
| ecumenical spirit of the Second Vatican Council and of | | | | which is not an expansion of conquest but an internal |
| the institution of the Secretariat for the Non-Christian | | | | renewal, the Catholic mission will seek a friendly |
| Religions.” | | | | co-existence and a constructive collaboration. |
| “It was a surprise for everybody when the | | | | |